Cross-carrier digital ledger for subscriber identification module (SIM) related data

Abstract

A system can detect a change associated with a subscriber identity module (SIM) of a wireless device and generate a data record indicative of the change. In one example, the data record is stored on a digital ledger residing on a cryptographically secured and distributed peer-to-peer network (e.g., blockchain) that stores multiple data records of changes to SIMs of wireless devices. The system can determine whether a wireless device is impacted by malicious activity based on an age of its data record stored on the distributed ledger. For example, an aged data record indicates a lower probability that the wireless device was the subject of a SIM swap fraud whereas a newer data record indicates a higher probability of a SIM swap fraud.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-readable storage medium, excluding transitory signals and carrying instructions, which, when executed by at least one data processor of a system, cause the system to:
 detect a change related to an association between a subscriber identity module (SIM) and a telephone number of a wireless device,
 wherein the SIM is configured for a telecommunications network, and 
 wherein the change includes a different SIM, a different telephone number, or a different telecommunications network that supports the wireless device; 
 
 generate a data record indicative of the change related to the association between the SIM and the telephone number of the wireless device; 
 cause storage of the data record on a distributed ledger residing on a cryptographically secured and distributed peer-to-peer network,
 wherein the distributed ledger stores multiple data records that are published and accessible to multiple entities including a wireless network carrier of the telecommunications network, and 
 wherein the multiple data records are each associated with a respective timestamp for a respective wireless device; and 
 
 determine whether a particular wireless device is associated with potential malicious activity based on an age of a particular data record stored on the cryptographically secured and distributed peer-to-peer network,
 wherein the age is determined relative to a particular timestamp associated with the particular data record. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein to generate the data record comprises causing the system to:
 generate a digital non-fungible token (NFT) that represents the change related to the association between the SIM and the telephone number of the wireless device, wherein the multiple data records correspond to multiple NFTs. 
 
     
     
       3. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the system is further caused to:
 determine that the particular wireless device is associated with potential malicious activity when the age is less than a threshold age. 
 
     
     
       4. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the system is further caused to:
 determine that the particular wireless device is not associated with a potential malicious activity when the age exceeds a threshold age. 
 
     
     
       5. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the change related to the association between the SIM and the telephone number of the wireless device comprises a change to:
 an Integrated Circuit Card Identifier (ICCID), 
 an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), 
 an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), 
 an embedded SIM, or 
 an embedded universal ICCID (eUICCID). 
 
     
     
       6. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein to generate the data record comprises:
 associating the data record with a timestamp indicative of when the change related to the association between the SIM and the telephone number of the wireless device occurred. 
 
     
     
       7. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the cryptographically secured and distributed peer-to-peer network comprises a public blockchain that operates independent of any wireless network carrier. 
     
     
       8. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the cryptographically secured and distributed peer-to-peer network comprises a private blockchain that is operated by the wireless network carrier. 
     
     
       9. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the respective timestamp associated with each data record indicates a time when the distributed ledger received the respective data record. 
     
     
       10. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the multiple data records stored on the cryptographically secured and distributed peer-to-peer network are accessible via an application programming interface (API) by multiple third-party entities that did not generate the multiple data records, and wherein the multiple data records are factors for authenticating respective wireless devices. 
     
     
       11. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the multiple data records stored on the cryptographically secured and distributed peer-to-peer network are each labelled as safe or unsafe based on a risk of malicious activity that is related to a respective age of each data record. 
     
     
       12. A computer-readable storage medium, excluding transitory signals and carrying instructions, which, when executed by at least one data processor of a system, cause the system to:
 cause storage of a digital non-fungible token (NFT) on a blockchain network that stores multiple NFTs,
 wherein the multiple NFTs are generated by one or more wireless network carriers, 
 wherein the multiple NFTs are accessible by multiple entities including entities other than the one or more wireless network carriers, and 
 wherein each NFT has a timestamp associated with occurrence of a change related to a subscriber identity module (SIM) of a wireless device; 
 
 receive, from a particular third-party entity, a query including a particular telephone number of a particular wireless device; 
 in response to the query:
 search the multiple NFTs on the blockchain for a particular NFT including content that matches the particular telephone number, and 
 calculate an age of the particular NFT based on a difference between a current time and a particular timestamp of the particular NFT; and 
 
 return, to the particular third-party entity, a query result including at least an indication of the age of the particular NFT. 
 
     
     
       13. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the system is further caused to:
 determine that the particular wireless device is associated with potential malicious activity when the age of the particular NFT is less than a threshold,
 wherein the query result includes an indication that the wireless device is associated with potential malicious activity. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the system is further caused to:
 determine that the particular wireless device is associated with normal activity when the age of the particular NFT exceeds a threshold,
 wherein the query result includes an indication that the wireless device is associated with normal activity. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the multiple NFTs on the blockchain are accessible to the multiple entities via an application programming interface (API). 
     
     
       16. A system comprising:
 at least one hardware processor; and 
 at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, causes the system to:
 receive a request to authenticate a wireless device based on a passcode communicated to the wireless device,
 wherein the request is associated with a unique identifier of the wireless device; 
 
 in response to the request, query a distributed ledger, residing on a cryptographically secured and distributed peer-to-peer network, for a data record indicative of a change associated with a subscriber identity module (SIM) of the wireless device,
 wherein the distributed ledger stores multiple data records that are accessible by multiple entities including multiple wireless network carriers that publish the data records on the distributed ledger, and 
 wherein the multiple data records are each associated with a respective timestamp and a respective wireless device; and 
 
 receive an indication of an age of the data record stored on the distributed ledger,
 wherein the age of the data record is measured relative to a timestamp of the data record stored on the distributed ledger; and 
 
 determine whether to authenticate the wireless device based on the age of the data record. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16  further caused to:
 deny authentication of the wireless device when the age of the data record is less than a threshold age. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 16  further caused to:
 grant authentication of the wireless device when the age of the data record exceeds a threshold age. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the request is to enable access to a secure application through the wireless device based on a one-time passcode in an SMS message that is communicated to the wireless device, and wherein the unique identifier of the wireless device is a telephone number of the wireless device. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the multiple data records correspond to digital non-fungible assets that represent changes related to associations between SIM numbers and telephone numbers of respective wireless devices.